Alert raised over actions on investment ‘scams,’ say

By Rhoda Grace Saron on June 13, 2019

The Police Regional Office has ordered its unit to prepare for massive actions of groups that have been affected by the order of President Rodrigo R. Duterte for law enforcers to run after investment scams.

Major Jason Baria, spokesperson of the office, said during AFP-PNP press briefing at the Royal Mandaya Hotel yesterday that the intelligences units of the office have intensified their monitoring of the activities affected by the campaign.

“We have no information if there is person being a member of possible threat group,” he added, pointing out that the agency is preventing incidents like one that happened in a mall in Tagum City where people are rushing into the mall that cause its glass wall to break down.

“It’s one incident that we are looking at (and) our PNP (Philippine National Police) personnel are already alerted and also on the report that they will conduct rally,” he added.

The President over the weekend ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to close those suspected of engaging in illegal investment schemes.

Some of the members of the groups, through social media, expressed their dismay and anger through posts and comments against the law enforcement units and groups backing the campaign, particularly Pastor Apollo Quiboloy who interviewed the President that resulted in the order.

Baria said the police personnel are prepared to monitor also the movement of these groups in social media.

He said they are monitoring activities of the members on what will possible happen after the series of raid in the money investment firms. “The intelligence unit are not only monitoring (the) threat groups but also with possible amok of the members or if there will be going a chaos,” he added.

“Our units and stations are prepared to prevent possible incidents that will happen,” he further said.

They are also monitoring for possible organization of the members who are very angry after the closure of the Kapa mInistry and other money investments.

Also he said they are still monitoring other new ponzi-scheme to prevent the public to become victim and at the same time agents who are not legit or registered.

The Inter-agency Task Force in the region is still conducting investigation and still looking how many are actual investment schemes.

Meanwhile, he said PNP and other uniformed personnel who will be identified in joining into the money investment scheme will subject for explanation.

Lt Col Ezra Balagtey, the spokesperson of Eastern Mindanao Command, also said that aside from monitoring on the threat group we are in continous monitoring on whatever they are planning.

“We are to prevent the possible atrocities they will conduct,” Balagtey said.

Also he said that Lt. Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., the commander of EastMinCom is emphatic to the soldiers to undergo financial literacy.

“We are always reminding the soldiers on the risk that they may face if they might be joining,” Balagtey said.

On Tuesday, two more investment companies in the region were raided by authorities .

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) raided the Organico Agribusiness Venture along Bolton Street in the city and the Rigen Marketing in Tagum, Davao del Norte.

Just like the Kapa that was raided on Monday in Tagum City, the two firms were reportedly closed when the agents arrived Tuesday morning with their court-issued search warrant.

The CIDG-Davao City field unit operatives led by Major Milgrace Driz, with the two personnel from the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), swooped the Organico office, located at JRT Building, Bolton Street, Barangay 35-D, Poblacion District, around 10 a.m.

As the office was closed, the raiding team broke down the padlocks to enter.